Archive for November 2006

Wow! I can’t believe another week has gone by, and it is almost December. However, I am not complaining. That just means the 2007 golf season is just around the corner. After a long golf season, it’s nice to just relax and stop traveling every week. But after I am home for a couple of months, I am ready to get back on the road again and start competing.

The off-season is the best time for me to adjust my swing and tune up my game. I am extremely happy about where I have gotten with my golf swing. I am hitting the ball much more solidly and very consistently. I am looking forward to seeing where I’ll be in another month, since I have only been working on this swing for about three weeks. My entire goal is to have a swing that is consistent and will hold up under pressure.

I finally got a chance to play a consecutive 18 holes on Turtle Point yesterday. Whenever I get off of work, I usually only have enough time to play nine holes, so it was nice yesterday to have the day off and not have to beat the sun going down. I did not score the best, but I hit shots I was not capable of hitting before. It’s nice to visualize a shot you want to hit and then execute it. It’s those kind of shots that convince me I am on the right track with my golf swing.

So, this is the famous week of LPGA qualifying school. As most of you know, I did not qualify this year. But I do have many friends going through the grueling rounds this week. I would like to wish them luck and send them good vibes. I am thinking about all of you, my good friends, and I hope you play well. I am dedicating my quote of the week to my girls! This one is from Dale Carnegie: “Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.” Go get ‘em, ladies!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my favorite things is dogs. For this entire week, my roommate and I have the pleasure of watching a co-worker’s dog. Her name is Lily, and she is the sweetest chocolate lab I have ever met. It’s great to have some company when I get home. If I didn’t travel so much, I know I would definitely get a puppy. One thing Lily loves is fetching golf balls. I am waiting for her to get comfortable in a new place before I take her out on the course to help me with my chipping. It would be nice to have her go and pick up the balls, so I can hit more shots.

I am also making some adjustments on my swing. For the past couple of weeks, I have been working very hard on tuning up my golf swing. My coach Mike Swisher and I have been trying to get my swing solid, so I can become more consistent. It’s funny: when I am working on a golf swing, I feel I am in every proper position. But when I get a lesson, I am told there is still much more I could work on. The great news is that I feel better about it, and I know my swing is getting better.

The biggest problem I’ve developed in the past year is when I get the golf club to the top of my backswing. I cross the line and almost end up hitting myself in the back of the head. So, when I get to my downswing, I just end up re-routing the club. This can cause many different effects, one of which is inconsistency with my striking the ball and the shot shape. Trying to fix this problem has been one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced in tuning my swing. But things are looking up, and I am hitting the ball well!

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I know I have a lot to be thankful for this year. And, as always, a new quote: This one is from Paul Harvey. “Golf is a game in which you yell ‘fore,’ shoot six, and write down five.” Ha ha, I know all of us have done this at some point.

I can’t believe it is almost Thanksgiving! The commercials for Christmas have already started! I don’t know if I am ready for that yet.

So, I have been officially broken in at Turtle Point. I had to close the shop by myself the other day, and it was quite interesting. I had trouble falling asleep that night because I wasn’t sure if I had done everything right. The good news is that I didn’t get fired the next day, and the place didn’t blow up.

I finally got a chance to see the entire Turtle Point golf course yesterday. This is the exact type of course I wanted to be practicing on all winter. It is extremely challenging. The fairways are tight, and a few of the holes are right on the ocean, which makes the wind a huge factor. The greens have many slopes. I definitely need to be on top of my game with my putting. I couldn’t have asked for a course with more character and challenge. And I haven’t even tried the other four courses yet … How exciting!

The best thing here is the people. The vacation season is winding down, which leaves just the locals. Everyone knows who you are, and it’s just so friendly. I love it! I feel like I am on the show, “Cheers,” when I go to different restaurants. And everyone plays golf, so it is always the topic of conversation. I look forward to seeing what new things are going to happen every day.

As promised, another quote for the week. This one is from Tom Brady: “Mentally, the only players who survive in the pros are the ones able to manage all their responsibilities.” There are definitely more things that go into being a professional athlete then just playing the game.